The June 24 Google doodle was an animation of the letters of the word “Google” sitting around a conference table watching a soccer match. A mustached letter B, wearing glasses and holding a clipboard, walks by the conference table just as the letter E switches the station from soccer to a chart.
One survey suggested a billion-plus dollars in productivity was evaporating via tube time while the World Cup was on and the boss was either away or glued in.
Yet for all the news items about lost productivity in the workplace, some say cup viewing may actually increase productivity.
Errol Smith, principal at Ultrawiz Electronics Inc. in Byram, had the Brazil-Germany game on July 8. He was rooting for Brazil. Before what would prove a brutal game for Brazil fans, he said, “I hope they win.” Clearly, however, the game in the back room had not taken over the shop and work continued.
Captivate Network, in an informal poll, estimated the U.S. has lost as much as $1.68 billion in productivity from employees watching games during work hours. More than half of those polled said they watched or listened to games during the workday and 23 percent said they believed productivity had decreased as a result, according to ABC News.
The Business Journal asked readers of its online edition at westfaironline.com about their habits watching games during work in an unscientific poll in June. Many respondents who identified as World Cup fans said they felt more distracted and less productive as a result of watching the games on their desktop computers, mobile devices and cellphones.
Others admitted to taking extended coffee and lunch breaks, calling out sick and faking doctors appointments so that they could watch the games. Chris, a respondent who requested he not be identified, works for a national technology company and said that in 2010, rather than go on sales calls he went to a bar to watch a USA-Algeria game, in which the USA scored in dramatic fashion in stoppage time. Revelers threw beer in the air, he said. Then his boss called and asked him to come into the office.
“So I had to go in and let”™s just say reeked of beer from people throwing, cheering, etc.,” he said.
Other respondents had suggested flex time to accommodate the tournament.
Many analysts say the estimates of lost productivity are questionable and difficult to quantify. In U.S. News & World Report, columnist Stan Veuger called them misguided and even dangerous.
“They suggest a shortsighted, materialistic attitude that reflects some of the same impulses that led Chairman Mao to his Cultural Revolution, though, fortunately and for now, without the same tragic consequences,” he wrote.
A guest column on Forbes.com discussed the possibility that interest in the World Cup could be used as a long-term engagement tool for employers. Embracing employees”™ interest can mean not only happier staff members but can also encourage interdepartment communication and more productivity, the column said.
Even Chris, who showed up to his office beer-soaked in 2010, said he believes this time around he has accomplished more on days when the USA played. On June 26, when the USA played a noon game against Germany, he made more calls and emails than usual ahead of kickoff. “I banged out as much work as I could from like 6 a.m. till game time,” he said.
Bill Fallon contributed to this story.
